December 16, 2020
This fall, close to 1000 stakeholders participated in four virtual regional Advocacy Institutes. The Institutes were free opportunities for youth, family members and advocates to hone their skills in impacting legislation and policy. The i2i Center was a co-sponsor and presenter at these events and was joined by the NC Collaborative for Children, Youth and…
i2i is so pleased to report that we have been overwhelmed with positive feedback on our Virtual Pinehurst Conference from attendees, speakers, exhibitors and sponsors. We are so appreciative of the wonderful and encouraging comments. We want to share just a few with you: “I just wanted to give another huge round of applause to…
Governor Cooper established the NC Council for Health Care Coverage. The first meeting of this bipartisan group was held on December 4th. Governor Cooper has designated the Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy as the staff for the Council. The Council members heard presentations from leaders who discussed Medicaid expansion, COVID-19, uninsured and health inequities. An…
October 7, 2020
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sent a guidance letter to state Medicaid directors on September 15th that encourages the use of value-based care (VBC) in Medicaid services. Value-based service delivery balances the quality of the services provided with the cost of the services. The value-based approach to services also incorporates non-medical…
As the State moves to Phase 3, facilities like group homes, ICF/IIDs and adult care homes may also have eased restrictions related to visitation. Governor Cooper has signed Executive Order 165 to provide NC DHHS the authority to decide the appropriate restrictions on the activities and operations in long-term care facilities. The Executive Order remains…
August 18, 2020
Telehealth became the star of the pandemic by keeping people in services despite having to quarantine at home. North Carolina quickly ramped up their telehealth policies through a temporary waiver of federal rules and providers accordingly increased their telehealth capacity. The list of qualified professionals who can provide certain services, particularly telehealth, was also expanded…
August 17, 2020
The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Medicaid and Health Choice received some revealing updates on Medicaid managed care implementation from NC DHHS leaders Dave Richard, Deputy Secretary for NC Medicaid and Jay Ludlam, Assistant Secretary for Medicaid. They provided insights into what the Department is working on right now for implementation. A number of key…
Confidentiality rules related to substance use disorder services have historically been more stringent than confidentiality requirements for other diagnoses. This has made it more challenging to share consumer information from one professional to another. As the country moves toward a greater integration of care, data sharing through electronic health records, health information exchanges and other…